Take the Plunge!

The Hudson Polar Plunge is only a week and a day away--on Saturday, February 24.

The ten-day forecast on weather.com calls for rain and temperatures between 35 and 45 degrees next Saturday--not exactly arctic conditions but unpleasant enough. The following message came from the event organizers not long ago:

Individuals are plunging into the icy waters of Oakdale Park on Saturday, February 24, to help raise funds for Hudson's Youth Center/Oakdale Beach and the Hudson Volunteer Fire Department. Anyone can plunge or donate at HudsonPolarPlunge.com.

Sign-in will be at 11 a.m., and the PLUNGE at noon, with a party at the Elks Lodge after. Major sponsors are the City of Hudson, the Hudson Sloop Club, and Columbia Memorial Health.

Stephanie Monseu from the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, one of the participants and fundraisers, says, "It only hurts for the first two seconds."

Peter Frank, who will be plunging into the cold waters, states, "Both our Youth Department and our volunteer Fire Department are my local heroes, great people working to make Hudson a better place for kids and a safer place for everyone. I could never do what they do, but I'm happy to make a fool of myself to lend them a hand!"

Rich Volo, one of the organizers and Fourth Ward alderman, is happy to raise funds and help get people to visit Oakdale Beach. "Drag queens marching down Warren Street? Sure. Pushing a bed on wheels down a hill as fast as you can? Yeah. Diving into frozen water for a good cause? Why not? It's all these events that contribute to community life--and when you look back, these are the times you remember."

To register to take the plunge yourself or to support someone who does, go to HudsonPolarPlunge.com.
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